part of part of capable of myoepithelial cell myoepithelial cell of salivary gland 2026-03-24T10:46:30Z basket cell of salivary gland salivary gland myoepithelial cell A myoepithelial cell that is part of a salivary gland, positioned between the basal lamina and the secretory or ductal epithelial cells surrounding acini and intercalated ducts. This cell adopts a stellate morphology with four to eight cellular processes around acini and an elongated form parallel to the ductal axis around intercalated ducts (Amano et al., 2012). It expresses alpha-smooth muscle actin (ACTA2/alpha-SMA) as a primary marker, along with p63 and aquaporin 1 (AQP1), and contracts rhythmically in response to neural stimulation to facilitate saliva expulsion from secretory acini into the ductal system (Amano et al., 2012). This cell also produces FGF7, which activates FGFR2b-dependent transcriptional programs essential for seromucous acinar cell differentiation (Aure et al., 2023). In mice, myoepithelial cells express SOX2 and possess regenerative capacity, contributing to acinar cell restoration during tissue repair after severe injury. salivary myoepithelial cell smooth muscle contraction saliva-secreting gland